How much does a funeral cost?

Every funeral home is required by law to have a General Price List for the current year of operation which itemizes the goods and services provided at the funeral home. (Download one here)

In addition to goods and services provided by the funeral home, there are other expenses—many of them optional—for obituary notices, religious honoraria, church fees, professional pallbearers (when required), family transportation by limousine, and certified copies of the death certificate.  Charges for a burial vault (if desired), a grave liner (when required) and fees charged by the cemetery or crematorium are additional.

As a convenience to families, many funeral homes—including Keeney & Basford—will provide a “cash advance” to pay for these third party items, which are then added to the bill. At Keeney & Basford, those charges are passed through exactly, with no handling fees or commissions. At Keeney & Basford, we maintain a list of estimated charges for services from third parties. (Download one here)

One of our guiding values at Keeney & Basford is that every person is entitled to a respectable funeral. We offer a wide variety of services, so that everyone can select something proper and appropriate for their needs, at a price they can afford.

May I pre-pay for a funeral at Keeney & Basford?  

Yes. There are no fees or other charges when you make those pre-arrangements. An FDIC-insured, SSI-Medicaid compliant trust fund is established at no charge, where the money will be kept prior to need. There is no speculation or risk involved. Your funds are safe.

If I pre-pay for a funeral at Keeney & Basford, are those prices and services guaranteed?

Yes, if you pre-pay for a funeral at Keeney & Basford, we guarantee that you or your heirs will not have to pay any additional fees due to future price increases related to our products and services. The funds you pay are deposited in a special pre-plan trust, where your money earns a high rate of interest that will cover any future adjustments to goods and services. It is important to note that, while we cannot guarantee the cost of third party cash advance items, such as clergy honoraria and cemetery costs, the dividends from the trust can also be used to cover these costs as well.

How do I pay for an at-need funeral?  

1. We accept payment in full from a Pre-Plan Trust if you have established one.  
2. We accept payment in full for the funeral home charges and the third party cash advances with cash, a certified check or by credit card. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
   
3. We accept payment of the third party cash advances at the time of arrangements, and payment of the funeral home charges through assignment of life insurance. We can assist you with the vast majority of insurance claims, and there is no charge for this service.
   
4. If you require financial arrangements other than the above, we will do what we can to assist you. It is not our policy, however, to wait for payment from an Estate. Beneficiaries of an estate are expected to pay for all expenses, and be reimbursed from the assets when they become available.

What do I do if death occurs over the weekend or in the middle of the night?

Just pick up the phone and call us at 301.662.2175. One of our licensed funeral directors is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We feel that the first person who makes contact with you at this most difficult time is very important. That’s why we make sure that the person who arrives to assist you is a licensed funeral director. When making a decision as to which funeral home to entrust your loved one’s final care to, this is an important question to ask: Will the person you send to assist us when we call to let you know our loved one has died be a licensed funeral director?

When I call Keeney & Basford, will someone come right away?  

If you request immediate assistance, yes. However, if you or anyone in the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, that is acceptable as well. Someone will come when you determine the time is right.

I’m expecting a death in another state, but I want to use your funeral home for a visitation and funeral here in Frederick. Can I do that?  

Yes. We recommend that you call us immediately upon the death of your loved one. One call to us allows us to coordinate all the details both in the city where the death occurred, and here in Frederick where the visitation, service and burial will take place. Our experience is that this lessens your anxiety, as you will be able to make your decisions in more familiar surroundings with people you know. In addition, having us handle everything on your behalf lowers expenses in most cases as well. When possible, making arrangements prior to need can reduce a family’s stress even more at this difficult time.

What is embalming?

Embalming is the process of sanitizing and preserving human remains to render them safe for preparation and appropriate for viewing. In many cases, it enhances the appearance of a body that has been greatly affected by a long-term illness, or damaged by a traumatic death.

By lengthening the time between death and final disposition of the remains, embalming affords family and friends the time to adjust to the loss, make all the decisions that are required and conduct the ceremonies of remembrance that will be most comforting to them.

Does the law require a dead body to be embalmed?  

No. There is no law that requires embalming. However, the state of Maryland—along with most other states—requires embalming when the cause of death was a reportable contagious disease, when the remains must be transported from one state to another, or when final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.  

If someone dies of AIDS, can there be a traditional funeral?

Yes. A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options afforded to anyone else. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe.

Explain the options regarding cremation.  

Direct Cremation: The removal from place of death to the crematorium.

Cremation with Memorial Service: Cremation occurs followed by a Memorial Service

Funeral with Cremation:  A traditional funeral service followed by cremation.

I’m considering cremation, but my family has a lot of concerns. Why is that?  

In our experience, most concerns about cremation come from misinformation. For example, when death occurs, people very often need and want time to come together, to comfort one another, and to experience the love and support of their faith, and the community. If they think that cremation eliminates this important and necessary opportunity, it’s natural that they may feel resistant. It is important, however, for everyone to realize that cremation is simply the final physical step, just as burial is the final step, in laying a loved one to rest in a manner that is meaningful and comforting in accordance with a family’s cultural and faith traditions.

In most cases, a religious service or spiritual ceremony – either at our funeral home or in a house of worship—does take place, either before or after cremation occurs. Our experienced and compassionate staff have assisted many families in planning personal services for those who choose cremation.

Does cremation require the purchase of a casket?  

When there will be a visitation at the funeral home, a funeral Mass or another type of church service, a casket is selected. If direct cremation is chosen, whereby no public gathering of any sort will occur, a casket is not purchased. Instead, a simple “alternative container” is included in the price of a direct cremation service.

What can be done with cremated ashes?

There are many respectful options that allow for the respectful closure of your loved one’s life:  

• Burial of the ashes in a family cemetery plot where an appropriate monument or marker may be purchased.
• Burial of the ashes at a later date in the casket of a spouse who choose earth burial as opposed to cremation.  
• Burial of the ashes at a National Cemetery if deceased and/or his or her spouse was a veteran.
• Placement of the ashes in a niche or columbarium at a cemetery offering this option.  
• Placement of the ashes in an inscribed urn to be kept by the family in a place of honor
• Scattering of the ashes at sea or on private property, perhaps in a garden or another suitable place  
• Return of the ashes to the country of birth for final burial

I’m an organ donor. Can I still have a funeral service?  

Yes. The generous act of organ donation does not preclude whatever funeral service your family deems appropriate. When the family, funeral director and medical professionals communicate early in the process, all needs can be met.

I can’t find some papers I know we’re going to need. What do I do?

When important documents have been misplaced, duplicates can be obtained. However, take a moment now to be sure you have things like your cemetery deed and military discharge papers in a safe place where they can be found. That place should NOT be a safe deposit box at a bank, because access is not always assured over a weekend or on a holiday, and they may not be found in a timely manner.